Amazon Relay's insurance requirements read like a wall, and the workers' comp line sends more carriers running than anything else. Most of it is standard trucking coverage, and one of the scariest-looking lines usually doesn't apply to you at all. Here is the checklist decoded, line by line, in plain English.
Auto liability: $1,000,000
Standard. This is your primary auto liability, the coverage that pays for injury and property damage you cause operating the truck, and the coverage FMCSA files to activate your authority. Amazon wants the same $1,000,000 combined single limit the rest of the freight world expects. If you're running your own authority you already carry this. If you want the plain-English version of what it does, start with primary liability, explained like a human.
Motor truck cargo: $100,000
Also standard. Cargo covers the freight in the trailer. $100,000 is the common broker/shipper floor and Amazon holds to it. One reminder that bites carriers running multiple stops: the limit is the most the policy pays for everything on the trailer at once, not per shipment. We break that down in partial loads and your cargo limit. Read your policy for how it treats unattended and theft, since Relay freight moves fast.
General liability: $1,000,000 / $2,000,000
Amazon wants general liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. GL is your non-auto business liability: premises, operations, the things that go wrong when you're not behind the wheel. It does not cover a wreck (that's auto liability) and it can't be filed with FMCSA. It is simply a separate policy Amazon requires before you haul for them. If GL vs auto liability is fuzzy, we untangle it in auto liability vs. general liability.
Trailer coverage: $50,000 (when you're power-only)
If you're pulling Amazon's trailers power-only in a tractor, you're responsible for their equipment while it's hooked to you, so Amazon requires $50,000 of trailer coverage. This is either Trailer Interchange (TI) or Non-Owned Trailer Physical Damage (NOTPD). Here's the good news most carriers don't know: even though the checklist says "Trailer Interchange," NOTPD satisfies it, and NOTPD is usually the better buy because it doesn't hinge on a written interchange agreement being in force. We cover exactly why in trailer interchange vs. non-owned trailer physical damage. If you're only running your own box or reefer and never pulling Amazon's equipment, this line may not apply to you.
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Workers' comp: the line that scares everyone (and usually shouldn't)
This is the big one. Amazon's checklist lists workers' compensation as required, and carriers see it and assume they're stuck. Here's the reality: more than 90% of the carriers we set up are not actually required to carry workers' comp for Amazon.
Workers' comp is not an Amazon rule, it's a state rule. Whether you must carry it comes down to your state's law, and in most states that turns on whether you employ W-2 drivers. If you're an owner-operator driving your own truck, or your drivers are set up in a way that your state doesn't require coverage for, you frequently fall under the state's exemption and don't need a policy at all. Amazon's system says "required" as a blanket, but it defers to what your state actually mandates.
So before you go pay for a workers' comp policy you may not need:
- Check your state's threshold. Many states exempt sole proprietors and businesses with no W-2 employees, or only require coverage above a certain number of employees.
- Look at how your drivers are classified. W-2 employees generally trigger the requirement; a true owner-operator often does not.
- If you're exempt, there's usually a path to show it. Depending on the state and Amazon's process, that can mean a state exemption/waiver form rather than a policy.
The point: don't let the workers' comp line stop you from running Relay. In most setups it's a state-driven requirement you either already meet or are exempt from, not a mandatory purchase. If you do employ W-2 drivers, then yes, your state likely requires it and we'll get it in place.
The Amazon Relay checklist at a glance
| Coverage | Amazon requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Auto liability | $1,000,000 CSL | Standard; your filed primary |
| Motor truck cargo | $100,000 | Limit is per trailer, not per load |
| General liability | $1,000,000 / $2,000,000 | Per occurrence / aggregate |
| Trailer coverage | $50,000 | Power-only; TI or NOTPD satisfies it |
| Workers' comp | "Required" | State-driven; most carriers without W-2 drivers are exempt |
How McClure helps
We set carriers up on Amazon Relay all the time, so we know exactly what their system wants on the certificate and how to get it there, including handling the workers' comp question the right way instead of selling you a policy you don't need. Send us your details and we'll build the package to clear Relay. Start your application, and when you're approved, request the COI formatted the way Amazon accepts it.